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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. firm — steady
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bass — low music
  15. foot — a measure
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. game — a match
  18. firm — decided
  19. bass — the fish
  20. firm — a company
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com